As the number of web-based applications and services continues to grow, so do the demands placed upon database systems supporting such services and applications. Not only that, web-based applications and services continue to evolve and perform new and exciting functions.
Cookies are used to support web-based applications and services; however, they have several limitations. For example, a browser may only support a certain number of cookies per domain, a certain number of cookies total, and a certain maximum size of a cookie. Use of cookies may also implicate privacy and security concerns.
To support their functions and capabilities, web-based applications and services generally rely on application servers and databases. Computer users generally interact with a web site through an application server connected to one or more databases to perform functions supported by a particular Web-based application and service. However, the number of database requests may become so great or cause such great load on the database that supporting these requests and maintaining a reasonable response time to the user may become cost prohibitive or extremely complex to maintain and manage.